A quick search on the internet for “Thanksgiving side dishes” will yield a plethora of festive holiday recipes. All of which were designed to complement that boss of a turkey you bought to celebrate the big day. But we bet you’re tired of the same old cranberry gelatin mold that’s been done a million ways on Pinterest. That’s why we asked dietitians to share their inspiring recipes
for the most delicious side dishes to help back up that turkey goodness.
Let’s be clear, these dishes aren’t meant to replace your traditional feast. No way! We know you love your green bean casserole, but how about cook up one of these dishes to show your family and friends that nourishing food has a spot at the table too?
This year, we’re thankful for YOU and these dietitian-approved Thanksgiving side dishes!
Green Vegetables
- Make-Ahead Green Bean Casserole from Jodi Danen, RDN, founder of Create Kids Club
- Maple Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts from Nicole Stevens, MScFN, RD owner of Lettuce Veg Out.
- Green Beans with Pecans, Cranberries & Parmesan from Karman Meyer of The Nutrition Adventure.
- Oven Roasted Lemon Garlic Asparagus from Amy Gorin of Amy Gorin.
- Festive Winter Salad withe Citrus Vinaigrette from Melissa Groves, RDN, LD, owner of Avocado Grove Nutrition
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios and Pomegranate from Rebecca Bitzer & Associates
Potatoes
- Cheesy Mashed Potatoes (Insta Pot) from Rebecca Clyde, MS, RDN, CD owner of Nourish Nutrition Blog
- Greek Yogurt Mashed Potatoes from Chrissy Carroll of Snacking in Sneakers.
- Low FODMAP Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes from Tara Rochford of Tara Rochford Nutrition
- Instant Pot Mashed Sweet Potatoes from Cassidy Reeser of Cozy Peach Kitchen.
Vegetables, in general
- Sheetpan Maple Balsamic Roasted Vegetables from Sarah Schlichter, MPH, RDN creator of Bucket List Tummy blog
- Maple Roasted Carrots with Lemon Tahini Sauce from Alena Kharlamenko, MS, RD, CDN, owner of Alena Menko blog.
- Hasselback Butternut Squash + Cinnamon Butter from Julie Andrews, The Gourmet RD.
- Roasted Carrots with Curried Yogurt from Jamie Vespa of Dishing Out Health
- Fall Roasted Butternut Squash and Farro Salad with Pomegranate from Rahaf AlBochi at Olive Tree Nutrition LLC.
- Roasted Vegetables & Pecans with Wild Blueberry Balsamic Sauce from Brittany Poulson at Your Choice Nutrition.
- Thanksgiving Roasted Vegetables from Meme Inge of Living Well Kitchen
- Sweet & Spicy Turmeric Roasted Carrots from Leanne Ray Nutrition
- Slow Cooker Rosemary Acorn Squash from Jenna Braddock of Make Healthy Easy.
- Colorful Cabbage Salad with Apples, Walnuts and Cranberries from Katie Morford of Mom’s Kitchen Handbook
- Stuffed Acorn Squash with Mushrooms from Maggie of Meals with Maggie
- Orange-Scented Roasted Carrots and Parsnips from Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, CHWC, FAND, author of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide
Dips
- Peanut Butter Fruit DIp from Stacey Weichelt of Little Spoon and Spice.
- Holiday Veggie Dip Platter from Shahzadi Devje the Desi-licious RD
Cranberries
- Cranberry Orange Ginger Relish from Lauren Harris-Pincus of Nutrition Starring You
- Cranberry Pear Sauce from Triad to Wellness
- Cranberry Sauce with Red Wine and Ginger from Marie Dittmer, MA, RDN of Health Ideas Place
Stuffing, Casseroles & Other Sides
- Lentil Walnut Stuffing from Kelly Jones of Kelly Jones Nutrition
- Healthy Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Oatmeal Streusel from Kara Hochreiter, MS, RDN, LD of Byte Sized Nutrition
- Mango Jalapeño Gluten-free Cornbread Stuffing from Emily Kyle of Emily Kyle Nutrition.
- Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf with Cranberries from Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN, LD of It’s a Veg World After All
- Cranberry Apple Leek Whole Grain Stuffing from Sharon Palmer, the Plant Powered Dietitian.
- Slow Cooker Mushroom Stuffing from Kara Lydon, RD, LDN, RYT, Owner of Kara Lydon Nutrition and The Foodie Dietitian Blog
- Pumpkin-Cranberry Quinoa Salad from Edwina Clark of Science-Driven Wellness
- Farro Risotto with Butternut Squash and Sage from Ginger Hutlin of Champagne Nutrition
You can find Sara Haas, RDN on her website and on Instagram!
